Little Thief
by ChloeSilverado
Summary: Talia, Bhaalspawn thief, finds the road to Imoen and Irenicus filled with the usual perils-trolls, goblins, monsters, and flirtatious glances from a mysterious thief. Will she lose her heart to the enigmatic thief leader or her mind to the constant fights with a fighter-cleric who just happens to annoyingly save her, on more than one occasion?
1. Chapter 1

_Based on Baldur's Gate II, which I do not own, and inspired by the Romantic Encounters mod at the Gibberlings 3._

Chapter One

"That will be all. Except for you, Talia. I'd like a word," the Bloodscalp said.

The thief turned around slowly, eyes scanning the room for signs of an ambush. Renal chucked and nodded to his guards, dismissing them from the room. Talia raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as the room emptied but for the two of them.

"You have done well with Mae'Var. I fully expect you to run the guildhouse as smoothly," Renal said.

Talia nodded. "Though I am not as familiar with Athkatla as some of your other thieves. It may take some time to mold the guild into the right image."

"Perhaps someone should show you more of the city, then," Renal offered.

"Perhaps."

The Bhaalspawn scrutinized the hooded man, suspecting he was doing the same to her. She could make out only part of his face due to his red hood, and his frame was average, though lithe.

"I admit it," Renal said. "You do intrigue me. Allow me the privilege of your company this evening?"

She willed herself not to blush as she nodded sharply. "You may find me in the inn at nightfall. Now which inn, I shall leave to you. I trust it will be an easy task for one such as yourself."

With these words, Talia strode out of the room, willing her heart to calm. Did she imagine Renal's tone, or was he flirting with her?

* * *

She joined the rest of the party outside, where Minsc was telling everyone about a problem in Umar Hills they needed to check out. Jaheira agreed that they should go, though it would be a fair journey. Anomen pointed out that they should probably rest for the journey and stock up on supplies at an inn, maybe in the Promenade. He'd made his opinion of owning the guildhall quite clear, and though his pompous attitude grated on her nerves, Talia did feel that sleeping there was out of the question for the night. She'd sent strict orders ahead that the entire place was to be cleaned, and the basement cleared out.

They set off towards Waukeen's Promenade, where MInsc and Yoshimo left to trade some old gear for new, and the remaining adventurers ended up at the Den of the Seven Vales. Talia liked the woman running the place, and the food was some of the best in the city.

* * *

Talia heard the soft tap at the window as loudly as a bang. She rose quickly from the bed, pressing her back against the wall as she stretched out an arm to ease the window open. Finding it already unlatched and open by inches, she looked back around the room, concentrating on the dark corners where a fully grown man could hide himself. As she turned towards the darkest, she felt someone at her back, and a knife was suddenly in front of her at her neck.

"I believe this round is mine," Renal's voice caressed her ear.

"Did you?" The knife Talia held pushed slightly in from its position at Renal's ribcage. His soft laugh brushed over her skin as he released her, and she turned to face him. Both appeared relaxed, but their daggers still held firmly.

Renal sheathed his dagger and held out a hand to the Bhaalspawn. "So, little thief, shall I take you on that tour I promised?"

Talia took his hand, and they flew the room without a sound.

Hours later, they sat on a rooftop of one of the nobles in the Bridge district, a small cake and steaming mugs of cider between them, lifted from open windows and a passing cart. Talia delicately tore pieces off of the cake, tasting lemon and berries. Renal reclined against the boards, staring out over the lights of the city. Beneath them, revelers and crowds could still be heard at this hour, and a play had just ended at the Five Flagons. Talia took this time to study his features uninterrupted. His face was not one she would readily pick from a crowd, and she realized that it would be on purpose. Stubble dotted his jaw, and in the glow of the lights below she could make out some of the golden tones to the hair peeking out from his cap. His skin had an olive cast to it, and Talia wondered where his parents were from. Her own skin had the tan of the Calimshites, but Talia had never known her mother.

"Looking your fill?" he asked, still staring ahead at the partying below.

"Of course," Talia answered, "When else will I be given the chance to study the infamous Renal Bloodscalp?"

His mouth quirked at that, and he raised his mug to his lips. Once he had taken a healthy swig, he said, "Is it you who is lucky to meet the Bloodscalp, or me, meeting the daughter of a dead god?"

At her silence, he continued, "Of course I've known. I knew who you were the moment you set foot in my building. I know your father was Bhaal, Lord of Murder, and that you were raised in Candlekeep. I know that you defeated Sarevok, and that you were the captive of a mage named Irenicus for several months after."

"If you knew all of this already, why ask me here? Is this some kind of game?"

"Talia, as I have said, you intrigue me. I knew all of these things before I met you. But as I sit here, with you, I find myself filled with yet more questions. I saw myself the wreckage at the Promenade, the twisted cages. How could you-how could anyone survive that and still keep onwards? How are you not a broken shell, but instead this fierce, stubborn woman who went up against Mae'Var, and returned to me not only victorious, but without a scratch on her? And before that, cleared out a nobleman's home of invading trolls? Now that one, I nearly didn't believe…"

"You didn't believe I could handle trolls? Really?"

Renal laughed. "No, I couldn't believe I ever thought sending you against Mae'Var was a bad idea, now knowing about that."

"If you know all of this about me, isn't it fair that I get to know something about you? Like your name?"

"You can ask me, but not that. For as long as I've had it, Renal Bloodscalp may well be the only name I've ever had."

"Fine, then. Where were you born? Here in Athkatla?"

"No, actually. I grew up in Waterdeep."

"Is that where you became a thief?"

"Yes, little one. Though most likely not in the same way you did, I'd imagine. You were most likely picking locks on library doors and stealing from monks."

Talia smiled ruefully, and gestured for him to continue.

"It was also not the bloody start that many think I also had. I was a young boy, raised by my mother and sisters. She was never married to my father, but the word was he was one of the secret Lords of Waterdeep. The father of my older sisters, was a sailor, who died at sea. We had some from his legacy, but not enough to get by as we grew older. My sisters found work in various places, leaving the home empty except for me and our mother. I found odd jobs here and there, until one day, a man in a black hood gave me a new job. It was my first crack at any sort of thieving, stealing from crowds, but it turned out I had a knack for lifting money. The man turned out to be the second-in-command to the Thief Lord, and from that day on, he supported me as my skills grew."

"What happened to him?"

Renal's face darkened. "He was murdered by some ambitious fool who thought himself the next Thief Lord, and wanted to prove himself."

"So then…" Talia reached out a hand to the man, but thought again and pulled it back.

"Then I killed him in revenge. It was the first time I killed a man in cold blood, and not the last, for as it turned out, he was the son of the Thief Lord at the time."

Talia exhaled slowly as she took this in. She tried to think of what she would have done in his place, but noted that she did take revenge for her foster-father's murder. It had been the right thing to do, to stop the war that would plague the Sword Coast, but as she slew Sarevok, her drive was to punish Gorion's murderer.

The Daughter of Bhaal reached a hand over to Renal, and the Bloodscalp took it, squeezing gently. They continued conversing, softly, as they held hands on the rooftop.

* * *

It was well after midnight, or even one, when Talia and Renal made it back to the Den of the Seven Vales. As they made it through the window into her room, Renal's hands lingered at her side as he helped her in. Talia looked at him, and in the moonlight, the green appeared luminous. Realizing she was staring, Talia instead leaned forward and kissed him. His grip on her hips tightened and she let out a breathy sigh as he walked her backwards to the bed.

Renal broke the kiss so he could slide Talia's tunic over her head, his nimble fingers having made quick work of the lacings. He took a moment to appreciate her form in the thin undershirt, the silken material clinging to her body, only held up by two straps at her shoulders. He kissed her again, hands roaming from her shoulder to her back, then to her hips where he hooked his thumbs into her leggings. Slowly he rolled them down her legs, kneeling in front of her to pull off her boots and continue undressing her. Soon, she was divested of her underthings and pushed back onto the bed, Renal lying atop her, kissing her fervently. His hands caressed every inch of her body as he kissed down her neck, dusting light kisses across her collarbone.

Talia felt Renal kissing down her body, pushing her legs apart as he neared her center. She felt her face redden, but soon surrendered to the bliss of Renal's touch, coming apart with a cry.

She had taken a few breaths when she heard a knock at the door, and a second later, Jaheira's voice.

"Talia, are you all right?"

Talia swallowed, and looked at Renal, who put a finger to his lips for her to be silent a moment. He leaned forward and kissed the top of her head before stealing out of the room.

"I'm fine, Jaheira," Talia said, "It was a dream,"


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Talia visited her guildhall to set specific instructions with her new second-hand. She left a small amount of gold to ensure that things would continue running smoothly. He'd managed to find decent help in cleaning the place, and the floors and walls were scrubbed cleaner than Talia suspected they'd been in years. The amber color of the walls glowed against the gleaming floors, and someone had managed to find or purchase beautiful rugs for the main rooms. The thief stopped in her private quarters before leaving, and something on the bed caught her eye. There, amongst the fresh linens, was a single rose, its petals red as blood. Talia lifted it, looking at it for a moment, and considered placing it in her pack. In the end, she decided against it and left it lying on the desk.

She had just finished checking her pack when Minsc ran through the doorway, carrying a prostrate Jaheira in his arms.

"Talia!" The ranger's booming voice called.

"Minsc, I'm right here. What's happened?"

"Minsc and Boo were just leaving the Sea's Bounty next door, Boo needed some biscuits for the journey, and as we walked out to meet Jaheira, an evil wizard man pushed past us and began shouting at her! Our nice druid friend! Minsc did not understand what he was yelling, but Boo says that the bad man blamed Jaheira for ruining his slave trade and that he wanted to make her pay! He said a spell and she collapsed right there. We had to catch the lady but the bad man got away! We have to find the bad man and make him pay for this!"

Talia had him set the druid on one of the plush couches in the library and looked over the woman. MInsc was still ranting as she checked Jaheira's vitals; her skin was pale, pulse fast and a feverish sweat was beginning to dot her hairline.

"I'm no healer," Talia murmured, "Where's Anomen?"

Yoshimo, who had run into the room upon hearing all the noise Minsc was making, said, "I can go find him, if you'd like."

"Yes, please do that," Talia answered, sitting next to Jaheira and smoothing some of the druid's braids away from her face.

No more than ten minutes had passed when Yoshimo returned, Anomen beside him. Talia filled him in, with interjections from Minsc every so often, and the squire checked over Jaheira.

"She's been cursed, but I can't figure out how, exactly," Anomen said, eventually. "She's formed a fever and her body seems to be trying to force whatever he put into it, out. Unfortunately, the way most curses work, is by binding to the body, so hers is attacking herself. We need to find the cure, and without knowing specifics, that could take weeks."

"We don't have weeks!" Talia shouted.

Anomen was unfazed by her anger, and replied, "She doesn't have weeks. She only has a few days, at best."

Talia charged Minsc and Anomen with watching her before storming out of the room.

* * *

Talia had spent hours roaming the city, but it felt like days. She had spoken with Bernard at the Copper Coronet, but other than minutia, he had no information for her on Ployer's whereabouts. Rylock at the Harper's Compound all but slammed the door in her face, which was maddening, considering all she had done to save his friend.

She hated to ask for help like this, but at this point, Talia was getting desperate. She headed for the Shadow Thieves building and hoped Renal would see her. The woman at the front, deceptively small like Talia, gave her a dubious look when she heard the request, but agreed to find Renal.

Renal's guards opened the door to his study for her, shutting the doors after she entered. It was a small room, bookshelves lining the sides with a desk at the end. Though there were no windows, Talia imagined that there were most likely several passages in and out, besides the door. Renal sat at his desk, tinkering with a trap spread open before him. As he looked up to see her, the trap swung shut and he cursed.

"Problem?" Talia asked.

"It was supposed to release a poison when it did that, but the vials are intact." He prodded the sides with a pen, but gave up and set it aside as Talia walked towards him.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Renal asked.

"One of my party is injured. I have spent hours tracking down the man who did it, but I keep coming to dead ends."

He nodded. "The druid."

Talia gaped at him, but he waved it off.

"Seriously, who are you talking to, little thief? Anyway, though I am a bit hazy on the details of your friend's problem, I think that visiting a certain…gentleman…in the Council of Six building may be able to help you. It _is_ a magical malady, after all, no?"

* * *

Talia felt her blood boil as she left the government building. It had all been a waste of time! What had Renal thought, sending her out here? Now she had even less time to save Jaheira, and still barely anything to go on. So consumed was she in her rage, that the Bhaalspawn did not notice the man in the shadows until he spoke.

"Somebody said you were looking for Ployer."

She snapped her gaze to his face, the mage leaning against the wall. He was around Renal's age, a good decade on her, with a well styled beard that reminded her distantly of an old companion. His skin was brown, darker than hers, even darker in the dim light.

"Yes," she answered simply, hoping it would prompt him to continue.

"I know the man quite well," the stranger said, "and I know who you are, daughter of Murder. He has started something that he cannot finish, and I have no wish to perish in the coming fight, though he will expect me to aid him."

"What do you propose, then?"

He smiled, even white teeth, and said, "I may be persuaded to not appear when I am called."

"I see. How much is this persuasion going to cost me?"

He pretended to mull it over before answering, "1000 gold pieces."

Talia looked the man up and down again. He seemed to be fit, and if he were an agile magic user, a good hand to have in a fight.

"I will give you 2,000, if you help me, instead."

After a pause, he reached out a hand and they shook on it.

"Terrece."

"Talia. It is a pleasure to meet you."

* * *

With the addition of Terrece, Baron Ployer was discovered and dispatched easily. Talia destroyed the bag that held Jaheira's curse, and when she returned to her building, the druid was sitting up, awake. Anomen was checking her pulse and handed her a glass of water when the thief entered.

After Jaheira fell back asleep, Talia crept out to the Copper Coronet. She had just finished a glass of mead when she felt a hand at her elbow, urging her out of her seat. She did not look at the hooded man, whose black cloak blended in with many other individuals of the establishment, but allowed him to escort her after his gloved hand dropped a few coins on the bar for her drink.

Talia allowed herself to be guided towards the back rooms of the Copper Coronet, weaving through doorways and narrow halls, into one of the Lotus dens. He walked them to one of the alcoves sectioned off by dark wood paneling, carved in an intricate design that allowed the spicy aroma of Black Lotus to drift through but allowing those within privacy from outside. The cushions lining the wood benches were numerous and plush, appearing much newer than most in the common area, and Talia saw a deep red one tucked in the garish purple and gold pillows. A platter of fruits, cheeses and other delicacies was set on the table, as well as a bottle of wine and two glasses. Talia noticed chocolate confections arranged next to strawberries, and tiny bushels of grapes. In the center of the table was a lotus pipe, colorful glass globes arranged in a tower above a lit brazier.

"Is this your personal space?" Talia asked Renal after he pulled back his hood.

Renal smiled, but did not answer. He uncorked the wine and poured, offering a glass to her. She accepted and sipped, enjoying the crisp flavor. He doffed his cloak and took Talia's, setting them down beside him. Though neither wore any obvious armor, Talia was sure that between the two of them, both had an impressive array of hidden knives.

"It is a safe enough space. We will be undisturbed here," he said, leaning back, enjoying the wine in his glass.

After a few moments had passed, Talia said, "Thank you, for sending Terrece."

"Little Thief, I am not sure I know this person, but if I did, and encouraging them to be in a certain place at a certain time benefitted you, then surely it is a good thing they were there."

She smiled wryly, but said nothing. He busied himself with the pipe, eventually taking a draw from it, colorful smoke escaping from his nostrils. He offered the mouthpiece to Talia, but she demurred, instead asking inconsequential things about his operations, relaxing into the seat. She picked at the food after watching him grab a handful of grapes, and he began educating her on the exotic fruits and cheese from the arrangement, handing her slices of cheese to eat.

He sliced off another piece of cheese and handed it to her on the knife, "This one come from Maztica, aged, though younger than myself, of course."

"How much older are you, anyway?"

"More than ten years, but less than twenty." Renal answered, holding a strawberry out for her to taste.

Talia leaned forward to bite the fruit, letting the sweet flavor bloom in her mouth as she chewed and swallowed. He held up another, but as she leaned forward, he dropped it back onto the table as he reached for her with his other hand, bringing her lips to his. His kisses were deep, and she could taste the smoky flavor from the pipe as his tongue stroked hers.

He set her back, laying amongst the pillows and leaned over her, bracing himself up as he kissed her. Talia drew her fingers through his hair, grasping at him as she became more forceful, feeling his hands opening her shirt, caressing her skin underneath.

Talia could barely stand the attentions Renal lavished upon her, rolling her hips against his when he rose up to continue kissing her. She could feel his own desire as she did that, and he stilled her, whispering for her to have patience as his teeth grazed her earlobe.

He had just kissed down to her shoulder, inching her blouse down, when a loud noise outside the alcove stopped them. They bolted upright, and Talia righted her clothing as Renal checked behind the curtain.

"A gnome and a Halfling are fighting and one of them has knocked over a pipe," Renal explained. "They're drawing a crowd. We should leave."

Talia nodded, and they quietly left the den, skirting around the growing crowd and making their way down the back steps. Renal led the way through some alleys, and they passed the bottle of wine between them as they walked. The hour was late, and by the time they made it to the docks, Talia knew she had but few precious hours of sleep before leaving for the small town in the hills the next day. Renal walked with her towards her guildhall, and before they reached he pulled her by the waist into the small space between buildings. He kissed her senseless, leaving her heart pounding before pulling her into an embrace where he kissed the top of her head. He murmured a farewell into her hair before he left, seeming to vanish into the shadows.

Talia walked through the entry of the guildhall, which still teemed with activity as the front man displayed goods for sale, and she made it back to the upper levels. She had just made it to the section with their rooms, when she passed Anomen, who was sitting at the desk in the library, reading a book. He was not wearing the heavy armor Talia had grown used to seeing him in, and his broad shoulders strained the fabric of the shirt he wore. As he looked up, the light from the candle highlighted the scar that ran down his face, over his right eye.

"It's late," he said flatly.

"I know," Talia replied, hoping he did not take in her lips, raw from kissing Renal all night. She passed the desk on the way to her suite, and knocked the book out of his hands, smiling as it fell closed.

"You should really be asleep," she added, smirking at his indignant face before dancing into her room, shutting the door tight behind her.


End file.
